We came into Athens to get my son's passport renewed because everything in Dallas was booked a…read moremonth out with no way to make an appointment. The district clerk in Athens does not accept appointments. We were able to walk in and be done in 15 minutes. The place I had the photo taken cropped it too close. But they took a replacement for only $5!!! It was almost $13 at the Ups store and I think Dallas passport offices were charging $22. The woman in the office was supper friendly and helpful. The inside of the building is neat because of all the black and white marble.

I missed the annual Christmas Parade, since I was working in Frankston, but I did get to see the…read moreChristmas Party afterwards. There were lots of inflatable slides & bouncy-houses. I love how the courthouse yard & street was all decorated with lights & stuff, they did a great job on that. Many local churches & businesses had different booths set up. I helped with the Eastern Hills Church Of Christ booth (smores & an inflatable slide nearby), & cleaning up afterwards. There were also speakers playing various Christmas tunes, but not too loud that you couldn't have a conversation. It was a little hard finding restrooms, though (perhaps in some various buildings & shops in the area?). I parked over by Railway Cafe & Come & Take It, some may have parked closer, near the Annex. It was a great location for a city-wide Christmas party, or any other city-wide get-together.

Navarro County was formed from Robertson County in 1846. It is named for José Antonio Navarro…read more(1795-1871), a Tejano leader in the Texas Revolution who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. This courthouse was completed in 1905 and is in the Beaux Arts style, designed by James E. Flanders who also designed the Shackelford County Courthouse in Albany Texas and the Grand Lodge Temple in Waco, Texas. It is red burnet granite and gray brick. The clock dome was added later. The property includes a sculpture of a seated Navarro and a fireman memorial. A bugler statue is a Confederate memorial. [Round number review 800 of 2024 - 556 in Texas - 21831 overall]

I've reviewed a dozen or so county courthouses in Texas (Johnson/Cleburne, Ellis/Waxahachie,…read moreWise/Decatur, Potter/Amarillo, Wheeler, Liberty, McCulloch/Brady, Sterling, Gaines/Seminole and Navarro/Corsicana) so I only have 240 or so to go. Texans definitely know how to make magnificent courthouses and this is one of them. According to the marker, this is the county's fourth courthouse and was built during the peak of Central Texas cotton wealth. Named for Neil McLennan who was an early settler, the county's seat is Waco. The courthouse was completed in 1902 and is in the Beaux Arts Style by architect James Riely Gordon who designed 13 other Texas courthouses (including Ellis, which I've seen). Themis, the Greek goddess of divine order stands atop the dome, holding a double-edged sword that represents the law. Her left hand holds the usual scales to symbolize the weighing of facts by the courts. I was here on Sunday so I did not have the opportunity to tour the interior which is apparently quite ornate. Interesting fact: Clyde Barrow, of Bonnie and Clyde fame, stood trial here and was convicted. He managed to break out of the jail later. [Review 817 of 2024 - 572 in Texas - 21848 overall]

Visiting a friend who pastors a church in town. With time to kill, I wanted to check out the…read morehistorical markers and etc. surrounding the courthouse. Lots to absorb!

They administer hillbilly justice ,..which is nothing like the blind, fair kind that goes on in…read morereal courtrooms around the country ! Staffed by magistrates of varying quality.Most aren't too bright ,and are prejudiced.

Re: ELLIS County Red Oak Police Department…read more Yesterday, I called the non-emergency hotline to report what I believed was an abandoned car that had been parked in front of my house for three days. An officer came out and informed me that the vehicle belonged to a neighbor. He also stated that they didn't have to move it because it was parked the required distance from the road. When I asked whose car it was, he said he couldn't share that information--which I understand. I had assumed the car was abandoned because it was blocking my driveway and no one had returned to move it in 3 days. While I realize the road is public property, I felt the officer could have at least encouraged the neighbor to be more considerate and move their car as a courtesy. Our road is narrow, and it's difficult to get out of my driveway when cars are parked that way. Since the officer made it clear they didn't have to move the car, I decided to speak with the neighbor myself since this is not acceptable. Fortunately, we were able to resolve the issue directly to have the car moved. Situations like this are exactly why people end up taking matters into their own hands. The interaction with me and my neighbor could have resulted in a situation that could have become volatile. However, this experience left me feeling that calling the police was useless and unhelpful--I don't plan on calling them again. It seems they have quite a few racist complaints but you have to dig for them because they do not allow complaints on google or etc.

Gorgeous Texas courthouse on the historic square in Waxahachie. James Michener best described this…read morecourthouse as "a fairy tale palace...replete with battlements and turrets and spires...and miniature castle high in the air...one of the finest buildings in Texas". It is hard to top that description! Constructed in 1893, the building is listed as one of Texas' most outstanding architectural achievements. It is 23,739 square feet, nine stories tall, and has a working clock tower. It is built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style.

It's a nice area and has free parking! I had to go for jury duty which was interesting. All the…read moreworkers were nice. The building is clean. My only issue is the signage, they have paper on some doors of where you're going & the vending machine was on the basement floor (listed on the elevator as "garage"). It should be in a more spacious area. We were all crowded in the space to get snacks.

Another shockingly pleasant experience at the passport office here! Isaac was fantastic! He was so…read morekind and helpful, and very patient and sweet with our two toddlers. We will absolutely come back to this location for any help we need with passports in the future based on how terrific Isaac was.

I was pleasantly surprised at the organized, efficient, competent & courteous service in 2 separate…read moretransactions.

Texas has 254 counties. More than any other state. The intention was to make county seats no more…read morethat a days round trip horseback ride in order to conduct business. Most that were originally built in the 1800s were simple wooden structures and some even log cabins. As each county grew,larger courthouses were built, most out of stone and implemented by beautiful architecture. As a result,Texas has scores of stunning courthouses. Unfortunately,a lot of these were destroyed by fire and replaced by average buildings. Some were even intentionally torn down to make way for a more modern building. Sitting on the square of the county seat in Canton Texas is the Van Zandt County Courthouse. Named after Issac Van Zandt From Tennessee who moved to Texas to serve in the new Republic of Texas house of representatives. He became a prominent attorney, political leader and diplomate advocating for Texas annexation by the United states. This art Deco style building was constructed in 1936 and replaced the 1895 structure. I'm not sure why they demolished the old one but this era of courthouse is less visually appealing . It also feels less majestic walking into than the older ones.

I am a vendor for First Monday Trade Days. I mistakenly went to this building to the county clerk…read moreand asked if I was in the right place for a temporary food permit. She said "no, this is the county building" I asked her if she had the address for the city building so I could get my permit. She said "no! I don't know the address!" I asked "seriously?! Would anyone here know the address?" She said "No! Do you know the address of your city hall?" I do by the way. I asked her why she was being so rude and when she said she wasn't being rude I exclaimed "all I want is the address for city hall." And I walked out. Very rude very unnecessarily rude!

The county court house has a Salem pilgrim kind of look to it. It's old but rustic, there is…read morelimited parking and this is only for county matters, the criminal and district courts are at the Justice Center off of Huey rd, which is about 5 minutes away. People are nice and friendly, it's a nice historic courthouse.